James Potter and the Words of the Bard
by thistlemeg
Summary: There's some trouble in paradise for Lily and James, but when Lily sends him a copy of Romeo and Juliet, James sets out to win her back. Worth reading even if you aren't familiar with the play.


_Author's Note: If you read any of my other stories, you're probably wondering why on earth I've started yet another one. Well for one, I'm obsessed. Also, I actually wrote most of this over a month ago and had a random inspiration to finish it tonight, so I did. As you can see, I have this fixation with James and Lily/Romeo and Juliet parallels. I also enjoy splitting the two lovebirds up (I'm so evil), but I always get them back together again with a big display of mushiness (if you're a sucker for this stuff, see "The One.") Anyway, I had fun with this, and it's far from perfect, but I think it's cute. So read, and if you'd like to be special, review and tell me what you thought!   
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter characters. I do own Cecily Warbush and Rover, so don't steal 'em. All quotes are from William Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_, except for the one Lily uses at the very end, which is from Shakespeare's sonnet _Let me not to the marriage of true minds.   
  
  
  


**James Potter and the Words of the Bard**

  
  


"Lily, you're not getting it. I love you and I don't care what happens to me!" He looked her straight in the eye. "I'd do anything for you."   
  
Lily pulled her hand away from his grasp. "And I'd do anything for you, and in this case that's dumping you. We're over." She got up and walked away, unable to hold his gaze.   
  
"LILY!" James was desperate. She couldn't do this, she couldn't. "I'd rather die with you than live without you."   
  
"Oh please, James," she sneered, spinning around. Her eyes held anguish but her voice was very cold. "Don't get all Shakespeare on me. That kind of talk _sounds_ very pretty, but when it comes right down to it, everyone's just out to save their own necks. You'll thank me someday."   
  
He watched her walk haughtily away and something deep inside twisted and writhed painfully.   
  
"_Expulsio_," Lily whispered, pointing her wand at the renegade tears brave enough to attempt the trek down her pale face. When they were gone, she stepped through the portrait and slipped up to her dorm.   
  
  
  
"Hey, buddy, how was your date?" Sirius had been binging on Sherbet Fizzbees and was now doing exuberant somersaults in mid-air. "Spend some quality time with Lily?" His eyebrows moved up and down suggestively.   
  
"No." James' voice was dead. He lay down on his bed and shut the curtains without bothering to remove his robes or shoes.   
  
"What happened?" Remus asked worriedly. His three friends exchanged concerned glances.   
  
"She broke my heart." James uttered the age-old cliche from behind the bed-hangings in a monotone, thinking dully how it rang true.   
  
  
  
James woke up the next morning slightly disoriented. he was fully dressed, for one thing. And there was that telltale knot in the pit of his stomach. He wondered if he'd gotten in a lot of trouble last night - and then he remembered.   
  
Lily.   
  
James let out a moan and turned over onto his stomach, burying his face in his pillow to smother the hot tears that pricked the corners of his eyes. After wallowing for a few minutes, though, he sat up abruptly.   
  
This is stupid, he told himself angrily. You love her; she loves you. She's just completely deluded at the moment. And it's up to you to get her back.   
  
James managed a weak smile. Taking action felt good. He drew back his curtains and saw Sirius, Remus, and Peter engaged in an earnest whispered conversation on Peter's bed.   
  
"Morning," James told them in the closest thing to a normal tone he could muster and proceeded to Summon parchment and a quill from his bag, ignoring their anxious glances.   
  
  
  
**Dear Lily,   
You're annoyed with me now, aren't you? You're eating your enormous blueberry muffin and sipping the orange juice you've always insisted on, and scowling at me. Because I'm not leaving you to enjoy your heartbreak in peace. Too bad, Lils, I'm not giving you up that easily.   
And who is Shakespeare?   
Love always,   
James**   
  
  
  
Lily was FURIOUS. He thought he was so smart, just because she _had_ been scowling. And now he wouldn't stop looking at her, those beautiful brown eyes just..._smoldering_. She pushed back the uneaten muffin and walked back to the dorm.   
  
  
  
"Well, hello, Rover," James greeted the enormous owl that had just flown through the dorm window. Rover was jointly owned by James and Sirius - Sirius had won naming rights in the second year Quidditch pool. "What've you got for me?"   
  
James opened the small package excitedly, hoping it was sweets from home, and pulled out a paperback book.   
  


Romeo and Juliet   
by William Shakespeare

  


James looked for a letter but there was none. However, upon opening the book, he found written on the inside cover,   
  
**James -   
Happy reading, Romeo. Just don't expect me to be your Juliet.   
And stop stalking me.   
Lily**   
  
James grinned widely. So the note wasn't exactly affectionate, but if she really didn't care, she wouldn't have gone to the trouble of finding the book for him. He flipped to Scene I and began reading.   
  
  
  
**Dear Lily,   
Ugh, I'm no Romeo. The way he's fawning over that Rosaline girl? I've only read the first scene, but I can tell you, she's not the one for him.   
Then again, it's a bit like Cecily Warbush, isn't it?   
Love always,   
James**   
  
  
  
Lily glared at the piece of parchment, willing it to burst into flames. James was being so difficult! How was she supposed to forget he existed when he kept bombarding her with owls - owls filled with insights on Muggle literature, no less. Maybe she'd send him _Pride and Prejudice_ next...   
  
No! Lily thought frantically. I have got to put a stop to this.   
  
  
  
**James-   
I think Romeo and Rosaline would be cute together.   
Didn't Cecily look nice this morning?   
Lily**   
  
  
  
Sirius gaped at the letter Rover had just dropped off for James.   
  
"Wow," he said at last. "She really _must_ be over you, to be complimenting Cecily Warbush." James and the pretty blonde Hufflepuff had had a brief liason before he had fallen for Lily.   
  
James shook his head. "You're wrong. I will get her back, just you wait." He took out a quill.   
  
  
  
**Lily, love -   
Cecily? Just another crow trooping along with you, my dear. I was right about Rosaline, you've got to give me that.   
There is something very Remus about Benvolio, Sirius and Mercutio even share astronomical names, and can't you just see Peter biting his thumb at Snape?   
It seems all I'm missing is my Juliet...   
Love always,   
James**   
  
  
  
**James -   
What about Kimberley Abbot?   
Lily**   
  
  
  
**Dear Lily,   
Crow.   
I just wrote "Voldemort" on a piece of paper and threw it in the fire. Does that help?   
Love always,   
James**   
  
  
  
**James -   
Are you implying Voldemort is my father?   
I'm pretty sure Veronica Warrington would be willing to die for you...   
Lily**   
  
  
  
**Dear Lily,   
Crow. Evil, Slytherin crow at that. I would really hope you think better of my taste.   
Your father isn't the one keeping us apart in this case. Lily, I'll go into the fire myself for you. And I'm very, very stubborn.   
What if I promise never to get expelled for killing Snape? And even if I did, I assure you, Dumbledore is far better at making plans that that Friar Lawrence guy.   
Love always,   
James**   
  
  
  
Lily cornered James in the Common Room that night.   
  
"Stop it," she hissed at him, brilliant eyes afire. "Just cut it out, all right?"   
  
James did his best to look innocent. "Stop what?"   
  
This only infuriated her more. She poked him viciously in the chest and spat out, "You _know_ what. Owling me three times a day, turning on the charm, being sweet and romantic and funny - being _you_, James Potter."   
  
James grinned. "You think I"m sweet and romantic and funny?"   
  
"You know damn well you are," she answered angrily. "Now how am I supposed to get over you when you won't leave me alone?"   
  
"That's kind of the point," James admitted.   
  
She threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "You are completely impossible."   
  
James smiled sadly. "I know. And you're the only one who can handle me. I need you, Lils."   
  
Lily had a huge lump in her throat. He shouldn't be doing this, she was going to give in any minute now. Dropping her voice and stepping closer to him, she said, "James, I got a Dark Mark by owl post. A warning. For me and for everyone I love."   
  
James' eyes widened in fear, but it wasn't fear for himself - he was afraid for _her_. "That's it," he told her seriously, "now I'm never going to leave you. You need big, strong James to protect you."   
  
Lily laughed through the tears that wouldn't listen to her firm commands to stay _in_ her eyes, damn it. She punched him in the chest. "I don't, you chauvinistic bastard."   
  
"Yes, I am, and you'll have to beat me up from time to time to put me in my place, and I'll beat up everyone who comes near you, and we'll get married and have twelve extremely violent children and live happily ever after." James stepped forward, closing the remaining space between them and whispered, "'Then love-devouring death do what he dare - it is enough that I may call her mine.'" He paused to wipe a tear from her cheek. "What do you say?"   
  
What could she do? The boy was quoting _Shakespeare_ for Merlin's sake. "I say we start sonnets next. 'Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom.' And I love you." Before James could wonder what a sonnet was, anyway, she kissed him.   
  
And even Shakespeare couldn't adequately describe that.   
  
  
  


**Finite Incantatem**


End file.
